Fortune Favors the Brave
by atetheredmind
Summary: When Delly breaks up with her boyfriend, Katniss takes her out for a pick-me-up. She's not at all interested when Peeta tries to pick her up at the bar. Or so she tells herself. Modern AU. Written for Day 7 of Prompts in Panem.


"Compliments of the gentleman at the end of the bar," the bartender said as he pushed two dirty martinis toward them.

Katniss and Delly shared a perplexed look and simultaneously craned their necks in the direction the bartender pointed, where a curly blonde-haired man sat alone. He lifted his own drink in greeting.

Delly jerked back around to look at Katniss, slapping her hand down on her friend's forearm, hard. Katniss yelped, but Delly just pinned her with a round-eyed stare. "Oh my god, Katniss!" she squealed under her breath. "He is so _cute._"

Wrenching her arm away from Delly's death grip, Katniss frowned and rubbed her arm, a welt already starting to form. "Yeah, he's all right," she agreed reluctantly, eyeing her drink. She hated cocktails. She hated bars, too, really, especially hoity-toity dives like this; she missed her hole-in-the-wall place, Greasy Sae's, where she could grab a beer in peace and not have to worry about creeps buying her a drink as a precursor to social interaction or sex or whatever they expected.

But Delly was her friend, who had just broken up with her boyfriend Thresh, and she had wanted to dress up and go out to a nice bar and flirt with some guys. Instead, Katniss had been listening to Delly rant about Thresh for the past hour. Which was fine with her. The less she had to pretend to care about what some strange man had to say, the better.

She guessed her luck had run out, however, as she saw the man push out of his seat and head their way. Delly could barely contain herself. "He's coming this way," she whispered unnecessarily, like Katniss didn't have two working eyes.

"Okay, yeah, chill out," she muttered, taking a quick, eager sip of the martini. She immediately regretted it as she forced herself to choke it down, following it with a swig of her vodka tonic. Gross. She wondered if she could discreetly dump the rest of the swill into Delly's glass while she was otherwise preoccupied with this guy...

"Good evening," the man greeted with an easy smile once he reached them. Delly blushed and giggled nervously, tucking a curl behind her ear. Katniss grimaced in an attempt at a polite smile. "Ah, do you mind if I—?" he gestured to the seat next to Delly, who shook her head eagerly.

"Oh, no, please! We must thank you for the drinks, after all," she gushed as he pulled the bar stool out to perch on. He smiled at her.

"No thanks necessary. I just saw that you two were getting low, so I thought I'd send some more drinks your way."

Katniss frowned at the martini and then looked pointedly at her own drink and Delly's cosmopolitan. "And, what, you disproved of our drink choices and thought you'd impress us with your sophisticated tastes as a cocktail connoisseur?" she asked drily. He blinked at her, and she felt Delly's elbow digging into her side. "Ow," she hissed, pushing her friend's arm away and ignoring her glare.

The man finally grinned sheepishly. "Ah, no, I'm sorry. The martinis were on special," he explained, pointing to the sign behind the bar. Katniss cocked an eyebrow.

"So you're cheap."

"Is it less embarrassing if I own up to it?" he asked, still smiling. "Plus, I figured if you rejected the drinks or threw them in my face, that was less money wasted, at least."

Snorting, she rolled her eyes. Delly angled her body toward the guy, positioning herself so that Katniss was mostly blocked from his line of sight. It was probably for the best. "I'm sorry, we really do appreciate the drinks," Delly enthused. "Thank you, Mr...?"

"Peeta," he said. "Well, Mellark, but just Peeta is fine."

"Okay, Just Peeta," she giggled, offering her hand for a shake. "My name is Delly."

"It's nice to meet you, Delly," he said warmly, then he leaned over the bar some to look at Katniss, holding his hand out to her. Reluctantly, she took it, weakly pumping his hand when he gripped it firmly. His hand was warm but not sweaty like she had expected.

"Katniss," she said simply. He released her hand and smiled, glancing back at Delly.

"Pretty names."

Katniss hid her eyeroll behind her vodka tonic, but Delly was smitten. She batted her eyelashes and leaned closer to him. "You're too sweet."

Peeta took a sip of his highball, shaking his head. "You say that now," he joked with an easy smile. "You might change your mind."

"I don't think so. I'm really good at reading people," Delly boasted. "I can just tell. You have such sweet eyes, too."

Peeta's cheeks reddened slightly at her compliment, and he ruffled his curls nervously. "Well, thank you. That's a high compliment coming from a beautiful woman like yourself."

Delly giggled for the umpteenth time, and Katniss tried not to vomit. She only half-listened while they continued to flirt, making a game of trying to spear the olives in her martini with the toothpick. After she'd massacred them into a pulp, she leaned over the bar to grab a handful of coffee stirrers when the bartender wasn't looking. She spent the rest of the night creating an unbroken chain of straws, painstakingly squeezing the ends into each other. Occasionally, Delly and Peeta would rope her into the conversation with an offhanded comment or remark, about her job or an old funny college tale, but for the most part Katniss was content to let Delly work out the kinks in her game without her assistance.

Katniss was so preoccupied with the straws, she almost missed when her friend excused herself to use the bathroom. Peeta stayed behind and flashed her a smile over Delly's empty seat. Katniss didn't return it, focusing her attention back on her task at hand.

"Trying to create the longest straw ever?" he asked conversationally. She spared him another glance as she shoved a black straw into another. He lifted his eyebrows and nodded his head toward a woman in the corner. "That woman's not looking right now, if you want to steal a sip of her drink."

She scoffed. "Actually, I'm trying to build a lifeline to get me the hell out of here," she replied humorlessly, but he laughed. She almost startled at the sound, looking up at him sharply when he slid across to sit in Delly's empty seat. How had he taken that as an invitation to talk to her more?

"Well, no offense, but your lifeline looks a little flimsy," he said, pinching one end between his fingers. "I think you'd fail inspection if the Coast Guard boarded your boat right now."

She scowled. "Well, thanks for the advice, sweetheart," she sneered, but he grabbed one of the straws and attempted to add on to her chain.

"You know, no one's ever called me sweetheart before," he mused, poking his tongue out the corner of his mouth as he concentrated on the straws. "I think you meant it as an insult, but I kind of like it."

She stared at him suspiciously, glancing in the direction of the bathrooms as she wondered what was keeping Delly. "You're weird," she muttered finally. Peeta chuckled, abandoning the straws.

"Clearly, I'm doing so well here, so I might as well go for the gold, I guess," he said, and he leaned a little closer. She fought the urge to jerk back. "I think you're gorgeous, and you seem really interesting, and if you'll allow it, I'd really like to get to know you better."

She gawked at him incredulously. He just stared at her, his eyes open and clear. Blinking uncomprehendingly, she started to shake her head, confused. "But...you've been talking to Delly all night..." she trailed off as he raised his eyebrows.

"Oh. She's really nice and all, but I came over to talk to you, mostly. I'm attracted to _you_," he said. She was dumbfounded, speechless, her eyes flitting between his face and the bathroom.

"Well, you're certainly honestly," she blurted nervously, and he just shrugged. She struggled for a response, not entirely sure what she even meant to say. "I don't...I mean...I don't think I can do that to her..."

His face fell some, but he nodded, sitting back. "I completely understand. But," he stopped to fish something out of his breastpocket, producing a small business card and sliding it into her hand. "Well, in case you change your mind." She stared at the rectanglular piece of cardstock, but when she glanced up, she noticed Delly making her way back toward them, so she hastily stuffed it into her back pocket.

"Sorry for the wait!" Delly said apologetically, and Peeta smiled at her as he moved back to his stool.

"Not a problem," he replied, flashing Katniss a look over Delly's head as she hopped back up on her seat. They resumed talking as she absently fiddled with her straws, still thinking about that business card in her pocket.

* * *

Katniss lay on her bed, twirling Peeta's card in her fingers. She didn't know why she was even considering it, why she hadn't just thrown it out immediately after she and Delly had left the bar that night. Delly had pouted briefly about how Peeta never asked for her number, and Katniss couldn't bring herself to break the news to her, about where his real interests had lain. She knew her friend was fragile right now, and she didn't want to wound her ego even further.

It was stupid to still be thinking about him; she found him kind of annoying, presumptuous, even. She didn't trust guys who approached women like that in bars.

But he was attractive. Really attractive. And she was horny.

Really horny.

Sighing, she snatched her phone up and entered in his number before she typed out a text.

_Hey, it's Katniss from the bar._

His response was almost instantaneous. _Hi Katniss from the bar. Good to hear from you :)_

She chewed her lip thoughtfully before she wrote out her next text. _Are you a serial killer?_

She snorted at his answer. _Would I tell you if I were?_

_I'm serious. How can I trust you?_

She stared at his business card while she waited for him to respond. When her phone pinged with an alert, she picked it up quickly. _You can ask the other girls I've dated...if you can find them..._

She couldn't fight the smile that spread across her face. _I want to invite you over right now, but I don't know..._

_You know what they say: Fortune favors the brave._

She narrowed her eyes at the phone. _They also say there's a fine line between bravery and stupidity._

His reply took a moment. _I'm willing to toe the line if you are._

Katniss reread his text multiple times as she considered it, then she sighed and quickly tapped out her address, hitting "Send" before she could second guess herself.

* * *

When she opened her door an hour later, Peeta smiled at her, holding his hand up in greeting. "Hey," he said, and she waved him in. She watched him carefully as he let himself in, closing the door behind him.

"Just so you know, I have a crossbow in my closet and a machete under my bed," she warned, and he froze, his eyes widening.

"I—is that supposed to turn me on? Because it's kind of working," he replied jokingly, and she smiled anxiously.

"No. Maybe. I'm just letting you know. So, no funny business."

He nodded seriously. "Okay, well, I guess it's a good thing I left my clown suit in my car then."

She tried not to smile but failed. "Stop. I'm trying to lay some ground rules here."

"That you're either going to impale me with an arrow or chop off my dick if I touch you, gotcha," he said as she led him into her living room. She turned around to look at him.

"Well, no. Not if you touch me. I explicitly invited you over so you would touch me," she replied coyly, and he quirked an eyebrow.

"Are you just using me for sex then?"

Katniss fidgeted with her braid, averting her gaze. "It's not _using_, per se, if you're getting something in return, too."

He smiled and shook his head. "But what if I didn't come for sex?"

She stared at him dumbly. "Then why did you come?" she asked, and he laughed lightly, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Well, I meant what I said about wanting to get to know you better."

She shrugged, wrapping her arms around her waist. "I thought you meant my vagina."

He made a face as he considered this. "I mean, that's one of the things I'd like to familiarize myself with, yes." She tried not to blush, twisting her fingers in the hem of her shirt. Peeta cleared his throat and chuckled gruffly. "Man, can I at least get a drink or something before we jump right into the dirty talk?" he teased, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

She nodded her head toward the kitchen. "Yeah, come on," she said, walking in that direction. He followed her and braced his hip against the counter while she rummaged through the fridge. "Um, Yuengling?" she offered, and he nodded, taking the can when she held it out to him.

"Thank you." He cracked it open and took a swig. "So, you live alone?"

She shot him a dubious look. "No, my boyfriend will be home in an hour, so we don't have much time," she said drolly, and he grinned, nudging her foot with the toe of his shoe.

"That's fine. I do my best work under pressure." Katniss rolled her eyes, her mouth curling into a smile. He clarified, "No, I mean, with that impressive home security system you've got, I assume you don't have a roommate or anything, like...Delly?"

Right. Delly. Scratching her nose uneasily, she shook her head. "No, no roommate. So no risk of her or anyone walking in on us," she assured.

He took another gulp of his beer. "Not that I'm complaining, but what made you change your mind?" he asked, setting the can down on the counter.

Her face hardened. "I'm not a bad friend," she said defensively. His eyes widened, and he held his hands up in a placating gesture.

"No, of course not. I wouldn't assume that. I just meant—well, you seemed wholly unimpressed by me the other night, so I'm just curious. I know it had nothing to do with my taste in alcoholic beverages."

She licked her lips and shrugged. "I don't know. You're attractive. And...you were entertaining enough, I guess," she explained. He smirked.

"Oh, stop, you're making me blush."

She glared at him, but she couldn't muster the hostility behind it. Her chest felt warm, and she rubbed her sternum absently. "Delly just broke up with her boyfriend," she said abruptly. "She's not looking for a relationship right now. I think she was just wanted to flirt and feel better about herself. Validation, I guess."

He furrowed his brow. "So what you're telling me is that she's just not that into me," he sniffed sadly, and she huffed, shoving his arm.

"Shut up. Are you ever serious?" she complained, but he grabbed her wrist suddenly, pulling her flush against him. His blue eyes were startling up close, and her face went slack.

"I'm serious about you," he said solemnly, peering down at her. She didn't know what to say, rendered speechless by how heated his gaze was. Her heart thrummed in her chest. Peeta smiled softly then, his eyebrow arching slightly. "Too much? Sorry, I only have two modes. Light and intense. And I find it better to air on the side of light, especially when I first meet someone."

She swallowed thickly. "It's...it's fine," she murmured. He released her arm, but she didn't step back. Instead, she brought her own hand up to rest on his waist. She caught the barest tic in his expression, but he reigned it in, dropping a hand on her shoulder to pull her closer. She stretched up on her toes to press her mouth to his. Peeta held her in place as he slanted his mouth against hers, his tongue flicking at her lips before dipping inside to taste her. He kissed her slowly, sweetly. When he pulled away, his breath was warm on her wet lips.

"That was...nice," she breathed, and his eyes narrowed.

"_Nice_?" he repeated and shook his head. "Oh, no, that's unacceptable."

With that, he pushed her up against the counter before he reclaimed her mouth again, hungrily this time. Katniss wrapped her arms around his neck, sliding her tongue along his greedily. His hands slid around her neck and cupped her face, and he opened his mouth wide to lick his way into hers. He swallowed her sigh, and once he was done exploring and tasting every crevice, he unsealed his lips from hers, panting against her mouth. "Better?"

She nodded mutely, her chest rising and falling rapidly. "Good," he said with a smile and straightened up, starting to reach around her for his beer. She shook her head, however, and pushed on his chest forcefully, causing him to fall back a step. At his wide-eyed stare, she advanced toward him.

"No, bedroom," she directed, pressing both hands to his chest to guide him backward through the living room toward her bedroom.

"So demanding," he laughed, tugging on her hips as he walked to draw her closer. Once they were in her room, his knees buckled when he hit the mattress, and she pushed him down to her bed and immediately began stripping. His eyebrows shot up as he watched her. "Wow, not even going to give me the pleasure of undressing you, huh?"

Yanking her shirt over her head, she dropped it to the floor. "Another time," she said dismissively, unbuttoning her shorts.

"A promise for more sex, I'll take it," he agreed, toeing off his shoes and kicking his pants down his legs. When she stood up, he was whipping his shirt off, so she straddled his waist and forced him to crawl back until his head hit the pillow. Sitting above him, she admired his bare chest momentarily before she reached behind her back to unclasp her bra, letting it slip down her arms. Peeta sat up on his elbows some, exhaling through his teeth. "Yeah, okay," he whispered, his hand sliding up her ribcage to cup her breast. She sighed as he massaged it, circling and pinching her nipple. She closed her eyes and held his hand with her own to encourage him.

Her eyes snapped open when she felt the wet suction of his mouth around her other nipple, and she threaded her fingers through his curls to hold his head at her breast. His tugged on the hardened bud, and she stifled a whimper, her hips barely rocking against his. Arousal leaked from her steadily, and she felt his cock hardening underneath her, pressing insistently against her center through their underwear.

Peeta released her breast to drop his hand between her thighs, rubbing her through her panties. She gasped, bucking against him, and he rubbed more deliberately. When he pushed the fabric aside, he slid his fingers through her folds to gather her slickness, then he sought her clit. Katniss moaned as he began massaging her directly, alternating between circles and strokes based on her responses. He settled into a steady rhythm, and she tightened her arms around his back when she came a moment later, moaning her approval toward the ceiling. He curled his fingers inside her as she pulsed around him, her walls fluttering and contracting.

After the last tremor, she loosened her hold on him and looked down. He tipped his head to meet her gaze, sliding his hand out from between her thighs. Her face flushed hot from pleasure and embarrassment and desire; he felt completely hard underneath her. She leaned her head down to suck his lip into her mouth.

"Um, do you want to...?" she mumbled tactlessly, fully aware her seduction technique needed work.

He grinned against her mouth, nipping at her lips playfully. "No, I think I'm good, actually."

She shoved on his chest, pinning him to the mattress, then she climbed off the bed. Rifling through her nightstand, she found a condom and tossed it onto his stomach. He ripped it open while she shimmied out of her underwear, and when she glanced up again, her mouth parted in astonishment; he'd pushed his boxer-briefs off and was rolling the condom down over his cock—his really quite impressive cock.

No wonder he was so confident.

She crawled back over him, spreading her thighs over his hips, grabbing his erection in front of her. She started to position herself over him, but he gently pulled on her arms, bringing her down for a kiss. "Wait, hold on," he said lowly. She stared at him in confusion.

"What's wrong?"

He chuckled. "Nothing, I just need a little romance, that's all," he said, pulling her back into another kiss. She rolled her eyes but indulged him for a few minutes before she shifted her hips forward, sinking down on him until he was sheathed inside her. She jerked away from the kiss with a gasp, sitting up fully.

"Oh, fuck," she groaned, her body adjusting to the slight pinch as she stretched to accommodate him.

Peet inhaled sharply, his hands curling around her thighs. "Fuck?" he laughed thickly. "Is that a good 'Fuck' or a bad 'Fuck'?"

Katniss swiveled her hips some, planting her hands on his chest. "Oh, I hope it's a good fuck," she sighed, and he thrust up into her slightly in response.

"I can tell your expectations are really high," he said self-deprecatingly.

"You talk too much," she surmised with a halfhearted scowl, rocking forward on him, but he rolled her under him suddenly and pushed back into her when he slipped out in transition. They both grunted, and she grasped his shoulders firmly.

"I can think of other ways to use my mouth later if you want," he murmured against her neck, and she tipped her head back as he began moving inside her. His mouth covered her neck in wet kisses; when every inch of skin had been touched and tasted, he maneuvered his mouth back to hers, drawing her into a kiss.

Her lips were slack against his, her attention focused on the feel of his cock pushing in, then out, over and over. When he slipped his hand between their bodies to stroke her clit, she arched off the bed and ripped her mouth from his to cry out, squirming and thrusting against his hand to assist his ministrations.

She came again soon after with a guttural moan, melting into the bed bonelessly after the last of her orgasm ripped through her. Peeta braced his arms against the bed then to increase the ferocity of his thrusts, bowing her back off the bed every time their hips met. She wrapped her legs around his waist to anchor her to him, curling her fingers through his hair to tug on his curls in encouragement. She watched him move above her, his jaw flexing and tightening with the strain of his movements; she rose up to suck on his neck, pulling a bead of sweat into her mouth, tonguing his pulsepoint. He closed his eyes and sighed, dropping his face to her shoulder.

"I'm gonna come in a moment, Katniss," he warned, his voice choked, and she nodded against the side of his face.

"I want you to," she whispered in his ear. His hips jerked erratically against hers until he stilled suddenly, his soft moan lost in her hair. She clenched her walls around him as he pulsed inside her, spilling himself into the condom.

Pulling out of her, he flipped onto his back with a sigh. Her legs fell open, and she pushed some damp strands of hair off her forehead. Now that his weight and heat were no longer shielding her, she felt her skin prickle in the cool air. She sat up and grabbed the nearest shirt to pull on. "I gotta use the bathroom," she said, but he hummed to get her attention.

He had pulled the condom off and tied it, holding it out to her with a tired grin. "Would you mind?" he asked hoarsely. She wrinkled her nose but took it, pinching the used condom between her fingers delicately, then she stood up and slinked into the bathroom to dispose of it. After she'd peed and cleaned herself off, she slipped out of the bathroom and back into bed. Peeta was still completely nude, his flaccid cock draped across his thigh. He propped himself up on his elbows to look at her.

"You're wearing my clothes, so I guess that means you don't want me to leave," he said. She glanced down to see she had put on his shirt. Rolling her eyes, she perched on her ass, drawing her knees up to her chest to hug the shirt to her body.

"I'm not attached to my shirt, so you can take that with you," she offered indifferently. He just stared at her, a smile teasing his lips, then he reached out to pull her closer. She let him, falling against his chest into a kiss.

She pushed back after a moment but kept her hands loosely on his waist. She stared at his face, her eyes searching his. He just watched her expectantly. A small smile tugged at the corner of her mouth.

"So what are these other things you can do with your mouth?"

* * *

Delly was deep into her post-breakup despair, the self-pity firmly taking root weeks after her split from Thresh. Katniss didn't understand the regression, as her friend had seemed in good spirits the night they'd gone to the bar and met Peeta. But then again, Katniss had never been one to wallow after a breakup herself. She just never got attached enough to put too much energy into being sad.

She suspected Delly's depression had to do with Peeta's apparent rejection of her—maybe she feared his slight that night only confirmed whatever reason Thresh had dumped her.

For that reason, Katniss couldn't bring herself to tell Delly that she was in fact seeing Peeta. Or sleeping with him, whatever. She felt guilty; she was often with Peeta when she got a text from Delly, trying to psychoanalyze the many things wrong with her or asking her to come over for a girl's night. And there was only so much ice cream and chick flicks Katniss could stomach, especially when the alternative was an orgasm.

So she was often vague about her plans and what she was doing when Delly asked, relieved when her friend didn't push it. She'd tell her eventually, she reasoned. Once Delly had finally shed the permanent sweats she always seemed to be in these days, whenever that happened.

In the meantime, she was just going to continue to enjoy her covert relationship—fling, whatever. Which she was currently doing with Peeta's face buried between her thighs.

He jerked her hips to the edge of the bed abruptly, throwing her legs over his shoulders before diving back in. Katniss keened enthusiastically as he dragged his tongue between her folds, flicking her clitoris before he sucked it into his mouth. Her thighs began to quiver, and he sensed her impending orgasm, increasing the pressure of his lips. She cried out suddenly as the pleasure crested through her, sharply, exquisitely, and she dissolved into incoherent, inhuman noises while Peeta dipped his tongue inside her to lap up her wetness.

He released her a moment later, and she sighed, unwrapping her legs from his shoulders and dropping them over the edge of the bed. He collapsed on the bed beside her, and she forced her eyes open to stare at him glassily. Smiling, he smoothed some hair away from her face. She blinked at him, a random thought popping into her head.

"Hey, you hungry? Let's get something to eat," she suggested. He raised an eyebrow.

"Well, I just ate," he drawled lazily, and she pushed on his shoulder but curled up against his chest.

"Shut up. I'm serious. I think I want Chinese."

"Wait a minute," he started, pushing her back some to look down at her. "Is this a date? Are you taking me out on a date?"

She gave him a stern look and sat up. "No. You're paying," she shot back and snatched her clothes up off the floor to get dressed.

Fifteen minutes later, they were both clothed and down the block in the nearby Chinese restaurant. Katniss swung the door open and stumbled inside, Peeta wrapped around her from behind. He hugged her to him tightly and nuzzled her neck as she struggled toward the cash register. "Come on, Peeta," she whined, a flush creeping up her neck. "People are staring."

"Only because you're so beautiful," he murmured into her ear. "And because you look like you just got fucked, that's probably it, too."

She twisted in his arms then to scowl at him, but he captured her mouth in a kiss before she could retort. She melted with a sigh, but then she laughed against his lips, relenting to his insistence. He was impossible.

"Katniss?"

Her eyes popped open, and she froze at the voice behind her. Peeta opened his eyes too, his gaze drifting over her shoulder, and she ripped her mouth from his to spin around.

Delly.

Her friend stood behind her, a brown take-out bag clutched to her chest as she stared at them incredulously. Her blonde hair was in disarray, her ever-present sweats wrinkled and stained. She squinted her eyes at them. "Is that..._Peeta_?"

He cleared his throat uncomfortably, but he didn't speak; Katniss opened and closed her mouth soundlessly, unable to formulate a response. Delly continued before she could reply. "You two...are you two _dating_?"

Oh, no. There was a quiver in her voice. Was she about to cry? Katniss felt like a deer in headlights as she gaped at her friend. Delly's mouth twisted dangerously, but Katniss was stunned when her face broke out into a grin.

"Oh, my god, this is too _cute_!" she squealed, and Katniss' jaw dropped. "Oh, my god, when did this happen? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Uhhhh," she said stupidly, her brain still processing the unexpected change in the situation. Delly was happy?

"Oh, my god, you two look so precious together! You know, I thought you would look good together. It just works. I had a feeling, you know."

"I...you're not upset?" Katniss asked hesitantly, and Delly's eyes widened further.

"Upset? Gosh, no! This is so sweet! Look at you—I've never seen you look so happy, Katniss!" she gushed, and Katniss stiffened in Peeta's arms. She heard him snort behind her.

"Is that so?" he mused, tightening his hand on her hip. She ignored him.

"Well, I—I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I just...I didn't want to upset you, you know—I know you're having a, ah, rough time lately, so..." she trailed off in horror when she noticed Delly's eyes watering. Suddenly, she burst into tears.

"Oh, I'm sorry, just ignore me! It's just—I'm so happy to see two people so happy together. It just gives me so much hope," she sobbed into her takeout bag, and Katniss groaned internally, glancing up at Peeta. He looked terrified. Shrugging out of his arms, she was at Delly's side in an instant.

"Hey, don't—don't cry, Del. It'll be okay. If it makes you feel better, I wouldn't say I'm _that_ happy with him," she tried to joke, ignoring Peeta's exaggerated cry of pain, but Delly shook her head.

"You can't lie to me, Katniss. It's all over your face," she whimpered.

Peeta appeared on her other side, gingerly grabbing her elbow. "I know we don't know each other very well, Delly, but I really enjoyed our conversation we had when we first met. Why don't you come back to Katniss' place with us, and we can eat greasy Chinese food together and watch crappy movies or paint each other's nails or whatever it is you want to do," he suggested gently.

Delly sniffled and looked up at him, flashing him a watery smile. "Okay, I would like that." He grinned in return and winked at Katniss over her head, coaxing Delly toward the entrance. Katniss watched them go, slightly awed.

God, she was going to fuck him so hard later.


End file.
